As we rapidly head towards the end of the year, we are busy planning our stand at the Winter Show. The image you have clicked on was taken of our stand in 2016 when it won best of show. That being the benchmark we try to aspire to every year, we are of course working hard to come up with a fresh idea for the show next year. We wouldnt want to give the game away but rest assured, we have a few ideas!

Recently returned from the Winter Antiques Show in New York, we felt compelled to put pen to paper to give a short run down on our experience at the show and what that means for the market.

As always, it is a delight to attend. The organisers were as keen as ever to ensure our experience went smoothly and create an atmosphere that is conducive to making sales. We achieved a great deal of publicity, with the highlight being the illustration of our Red Japanned Bureau cabinet in the New York Times and being featured in an article in the Art Newspaper.

Business at last year’s show was certainly effected by Trump’s election and inauguration. However, this year the show occurred in far more favourable circumstances. Taxes are down, the stock market is up 25% on the year and people were keen to spend.

We have spent many years developing our approach and we would sum it up with one word: attractive, used three times.

Attractive piece, attractive display and attractive price.

More particularly, we take a broad range of styles and forms and allow each item the space required to be seen. Judging from the compliments, we did not disappoint. Indeed, with a record number of sales, our approach was correct and we sold across the board. Sales included lighting, objects and furniture.

We select each item on colour, patination, originality and value. This can be illustrated clearly by the wonderful bench in the image below. This was in untouched condition with a rich patina and being priced sensibly, it sold within an hour of the opening.

What became abundantly clear during the course of the show was that there is an increased interest in and demand for fine pieces of English furniture.

Apter Fredericks will again be participating in the Winter Antiques Show which is held at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. The opening night party is the 18th January, with the show opening to the public the following day.

Several months ago, we were approached by Kathleen Morris, curator of decorative arts and acting senior curator at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She was putting together an exhibition called “Orchestrating Elegance: Alma-Tadema and the Marquand Music Room.”

The exhibition, and its accompanying catalogue, focuses on the famous music room designed by Alma-Tadema for the New York mansion of Henry Gurdon Marquand. The extraordinary suite of furniture made for this room, of which the Clark owns the grand piano and matching piano stools, was fabricated in London according to Alma-Tadema’s designs by Johnstone, Norman & Co.

We were asked if we would be kind enough to provide an example of one of the expanding on telescoping dining tables made by this firm, or their direct predecessors Johnstone & Jeanes. The firm was well-known for this patented table, and took care to keep control of the patent, even during changes to the firm principles.

As you may know, Alfred Fredericks first opened the doors to an antiques shop at 265-267 Fulham Road in 1946, in a post war Britain, when the country was still on rations.

An awful lot has happened in the last 70 years, but the family have stood here steadfast trading and selling the best of eighteenth century English furniture.

We wanted to acknowledge this land mark year in a number of ways.

First our annual brochure was a special 70th anniversary edition with a front cover which (we believe) visually demonstrates how well-designed and well-constructed furniture can transcend time. A dedication was made to Harry and Guy’s parents – Bernard and Carole Apter – who worked tirelessly to further the business in the last few decades.

The main focus of our celebrations was a party held at the galleries in June to which many old and new clients were invited.We wanted an opportunity to say “Thank You” because without clients there would be no business.

We decided to follow a 1946 theme in honour of the first days of Apter Fredericks.

The Save the Date Cards took the form of ration books, with various forms of antique furniture replacing the food types….“Each page of this book authorizes you to purchase rationed goods as designated by the Ministry of Antique Furniture. Price ceilings have been established for your protection, but as with all rationing, goods are available on a first-come basis.” Later, formal invitations were issued in the form of a telegram.

In keeping with the theme, the gallery was decked out with vintage props and perhaps most importantly a cocktail bar which served some bespoke drinks that had been made specifically for the event. We had fun inventing their names – The Very Old Fashioned, the Long Island Iced Tea Caddy, etc.

We decided to include a famous Apter Fredericks window display for the evening, and we added live performance art in the form of a lady in vintage dress who entertained guests and bemused passers-by… For more party photos, please have a look at our Facebook page.

In the run up to the party and in keeping with Apter Fredericks’ desire to be relevant and current, we also undertook a more contemporary form of celebration – a social media campaign: #707070 – in which we posted 70 photographs in 70 days to celebrate 70 years. A mixture of stock, behind the scenes shots, and other amusing or interesting photos helped to boost our social media following, particularly on Instagram.

In our anniversary year Apter Fredericks participated in four art fairs, starting with the Winter Antiques Show in New York in January, then the Palm Beach Show in February, Masterpiece London in June and finally the inaugural TEFAF New York Fair which was held in October. The shop also remained open throughout.

Our award winning booth at the Winter Antiques Show 2016, a room set complete with ‘windows’ with a view of Manhattan.

Our ‘contemporary plinth’ booth at TEFAF New York 2016

For a front of house team of just three we hope you appreciate our continued efforts to bring beautiful furniture into your lives – and hopefully into your homes! We certainly enjoy talking about the pieces and if you have any questions at all, as always, we would be happy to try to answer them.

There has never been a better time to deal with us directly. Taking into account that the commissions charged by auction houses can be up to 40%, add this fee to the charges for handling, insurance and photography, and the inconvenience of waiting for the next appropriate sale, it is no wonder that we are receiving many more requests to buy than at any time previously!